The invention relates to a wiring device having illumination. At least one other patent application relating to wiring devices having illumination is known in the art, wherein this application is published as publication number US09/0052162 and which was filed as U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/841,624 filed on Aug. 20, 2007, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Lights when illuminated provide a light radiation pattern. Many lights are formed as a sphere or dome and emit light in many different directions. However, along the emission spectrum of this radiation, there is a radiation pattern that forms either a point or a band of peak emission. Thus, while in theory, a light can have an omnidirectional emission pattern, lights such as an incandescent bulb or an LED provide a directed light source. Thus, lights can be focused or pointed in a particular direction to provide a peak radiation pattern direction that points along a particular axis. This peak radiation pattern direction can be in the form of a particular point source of light or along a band of light which can be for example a center beam. Thus, an LED can be pointed so that its light directed along a particular path such that when the LED is “pointed” in a direction, the peak of the radiation pattern points in this direction. In some cases, the light can be pointed so that this peak radiation pattern then points directly outside of the housing of an electrical device. Lights, and their size may be restricted in their application based upon space constraints. For example, the lights may be inserted into a single gang duplex type device which is housed inside of a single gang electrical enclosure.
Single gang electrical enclosures, such as a single gang wall boxes, are generally enclosures that are configured to house electrical devices of a particular heights, widths and depths. In many cases, single gang metallic boxes can vary in height from 2⅞ to 3 ⅞″ and in width from 1 13/16 to 2″, while single gang non-metallic boxes can vary in height from 2 15/16 to 3 9/16″ and in width from 2 to 2 1/16″. Therefore, for purposes of this disclosure, a standard single gang box would have a width of up to 2½ inches. A non standard single gang box would have a width of even larger dimensions up to the minimum classification for a double gang box, and any appropriate height such as up to approximately 3⅞″. It is noted that the width of a double gang box is 3 13/16 according to NEMA standards. See NEMA Standards Publication OS 1-2003 pp 68, Jul. 23, 2003.
Another NEMA standard WD-6 has a single gang wall box opening being 2.812 inches long by 1.75 inches wide with varying depths.
To fit a light inside of a single gang enclosure, it may be necessary to observe design considerations to orient these lights in a particular direction. Thus, based upon design considerations, it may be necessary to have a light orientated such that the peak radiation direction extends substantially parallel to a face of a housing or substantially perpendicular to a desired emission direction. Therefore, there is a need for a light pipe which receives light emitted from a light source and which then translates this emission in a direction different from a direction of a peak radiation pattern of a light source.